Libertatem Magazine

Delhi High Court Orders That Getting A Prosthetic Arm Is A Matter Of Right

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A 16-year-old class 12th student from Delhi is celebrating, upon getting a prosthetic arm, pursuant to a Delhi High Court order. In its order, the court stated that the boy shall get the prosthetic limb as a “matter of right”.

Ritik is ecstatic about his prosthetic right arm and gleefully responds, “Thank you”, to all the congratulatory messages. For the 12th grader and his family, it is nothing less than a special occasion to celebrate with the teenager.

The right, enshrined under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 requires the Governments to provide assistive devices to students with benchmark disabilities up to the age of 18 years, free of cost.

The student has been suffering from bilateral elbow disarticulation from birth. His parents sought help from numerous agencies but the costs ran in lakhs, which could not have been borne by the parents. The boy’s father is a small confectioner and found it difficult to bear the costs.

Advocate Ashok Agarwal, who came to the assistance of the family, suggested help from the government, which the boy is entitled to as a ‘matter of right’. The prosthetic limb was provided by way of an order of the Delhi High Court last year.

“I am very happy. I can now write, draw, paint and do whatever I could not do before without being dependent on anybody,” says Ritik, a student of Heera Lal Jain Senior School in Old Delhi, who till some days ago used his feet to draw and paint….”

The prosthetic arm was fitted by VIMHANS and is helping the boy learn how to use it. The boy has stated that the new prosthetic limb will now assist him in realizing his dreams of writing and painting and reduce his dependency on others.

Order

On November 1, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar had directed the Delhi government to ensure that he is fitted with the prosthetic in two months. Though a little late than the court’s deadline, the compliance of the order has brought cheers on many faces.

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